Revenge of the Phineas Part I
by NotAGothChick
Summary: When Phineas runs away, Ferb goes after him and must save him from the clutches of their evil counterparts. Rated T for intensity.
1. Prologue

NO HATE COMMENTS PLEASE! I worked hard on this, so I do not appreciate nega comments. I know it's out of character, but I don't really care honestly. I poured so much into this, so please be nice if you say anything. Thank you.

It was just an ordinary day in Danville. In the middle of the city, a large group of people had gathered together to see what Phineas and Ferb had done today. Phineas was very excited about his new invention, he could barely hide it.  
>"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," he said. "It is time to reveal...the Weather Controller! As its name states, it controls the weather. Now we can be sure we'll have a sunny day today!"<br>The crowd cheered.

Meanwhile, Perry was battling Doofenshmirtz at Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. He broke Doof's new invention, the Opposite-Inator, then jumped out of the building, activating his parachute.  
>"CURSE YOU PERRY THE PLATYPUS!" Doof screamed.<p>

Back at where the crowd had gathered, Phineas's smile grew bigger as he pushed a button on the contraption labeled "Sunny". But just then, a laser beam came out of seemingly nowhere and hit the machine. Since the ray had come from the Opposite-Inator, instead of sunny weather, stormclouds gathered, and it began to pour rain heavily.  
>At first, everyone just gave Phineas a blank stare. Then they all started yelling at him.<br>"It's your fault!" they shouted, along with many insults.  
>Ferb, who was standing next to Phineas, suddenly transformed his normal blank expression into a piercing glare. He glanced over at Phineas, who looked very upset. Ferb was directing his glare at the crowd, but Phineas thought Ferb was angry at him.<br>Candace and Isabella were in the crowd too.  
>"EVERYONE! STOP!" they screamed at the top of their lungs. But they were drowned out by the angry roar of the rest of the crowd. They were swallowed up by the mob, so Phineas never saw that they looked just as upset as he did. He just assumed they were angry too.<br>Ferb looked at Phineas again, and saw that he was trying not to cry. Ferb felt very sad looking at that, and grabbed his arm. He quickly led Phineas away from the angry mob and rushed him home.  
>They walked inside, and Ferb had Phineas sit next to him on the couch.<br>"I-I'm sorry Ferb," Phineas said. "I don't know what went wrong."  
>"No need to say sorry," said Ferb.<br>Phineas took this as an angry response, and got even more upset.  
>"If you're mad at me, then don't talk to me!" he shouted, dashing upstairs into his room.<br>"Wait!" Ferb called. But it was too late.  
>That was stupid of me, Ferb thought. Couldn't I have thought that out more?<p>

Phineas's eyes began to fill with tears. I've messed everything up, he thought. Now everyone hates me.  
>He flopped down on his bed, and saw Perry lying there.<br>"Oh, there you are Perry," he said, sadly. He tightly hugged his pet. "At least you still like me, right?"  
>Phineas closed his eyes, feeling the warmth and comfort of Perry's soft fur. But he didn't think he could possibly stand having everyone around him angry at him. It was just too painful.<br>I know! he thought, his eyes opening. I'll run away tonight. I'll go far, far away. And no one will even miss me.  
>Though that threatened to bring more tears to his eyes, he didn't think he had any other choice.<p>

So, when Candace came home, and it was time to get to bed, Phineas put his pajamas on over his clothes. When Ferb and Candace got into bed, Phineas grabbed his sack and tiptoed downstairs. He packed some supplies in the sack and tiptoed back upstairs. He quietly shoved the bag under his bed and got underneath his covers. He glanced over at Ferb, who was already fast asleep. Perry was curled up next to him, also fast asleep.  
>Phineas grabbed a small piece of paper and wrote a note on it. He didn't think anyone would come looking for him, but he thought his siblings should know why he wasn't there. Then he slipped out of his pajamas and threw them on the bed. He grabbed his bag and headed to the window, tears forming in his eyes again. He opened the window, and it made a noise. He cringed and glanced at his brother, who just groaned and rolled over.<br>Phineas breathed a silent sigh of relief. Carefully, he climbed out of the window. Luckily, there was a ladder right outside, because of another recent project of his and Ferb's. Phineas stood on the ladder, and carefully closed the window. Then he quietly climbed down the ladder and ran off into the night, never daring to look back. 


	2. Chapter 1

Ferb yawned and blinked. It was daytime. He expected Phineas to say "Good morning!"-but didn't hear his voice. Ferb turned his head and saw that Phineas's bed was empty.  
>On top of the bed was a note. Ferb picked it up. It said:<p>Dear Ferb,<br>I'm sure that you and Candace are mad at me for the accident I caused, like everyone else is. So I'm running away, and do not plan on ever coming back. Hope you find a new friend.  
>-Phineas<p>

Ferb felt shocked, then guilty.  
>This is all my fault, he thought, as tears swelled in is eyes.<br>He dashed downstairs, and into the kitchen where Candace was.  
>"Good morning," she said to him in a dull tone. Then she saw Ferb's face. "Is something wrong?" she asked, suddenly worried.<br>Ferb showed her the note, and she gasped.  
>"We-we need to find him!" she said.<br>Ferb nodded, swallowing back his tears.  
>*<p>

Phineas stretched and yawned. He hastily looked around him. No one was around. He stood, and looked around him once more. He was near the ruins of an old stone building. Nobody knew for sure what the building had been used for, or who had built it.  
>"Hmmm..." Phineas said to himself.<br>He walked towards the building, and squeezed through a hole in it. It was dark, so he opened his bag and felt for his flashlight. When he found it, he took it out of the bag and switched it on. He saw cobwebs everywhere. As he made his way through them, he began to wonder if there was anything worth seeing in this place-when suddenly, he saw a faint blue light up ahead. He kept going towards it, until he got so close that he had to shield his face.

A big contraption stood there. It looked like the portal to Mars Phineas and Ferb had once built, only it was much bigger and had blue sparks swirling in the center.  
>There was a table next to the machine with a piece of paper on it. Phineas snatched up the paper and saw that it was a note.<br>"'Portal to the other dimension'," he real aloud. "Cool! 'Use it, if you dare.'"  
>Phineas lowered his hand and looked at the portal again. Maybe I'll be accepted there, he thought. But what if things are bad over there too? Eh, it's gotta be better than this.<br>He continued to stare at the portal for a few moments. Then he tossed the note behind his back, lifted his bag to his shoulder, and stepped through the portal.  
>*<p>

Isabella opened the Flynn-Fletcher family's gate. Sure enough, Phineas wasn't there. Instead, his brother and sister were standing there, looking heartbroken.  
>"So...he is gone..." Isabella said quietly.<br>Ferb and Candace nodded.  
>Isabella's head drooped. "I should've just told him that I wasn't mad at him," said Isabella.<br>Ferb nodded. "Same," he said.  
>"Actually, I wasn't that mad either," said Candace.<br>The three kids sighed sadly.  
>"We need to find him before Mom and Dad get back from their business trip," Candace said after a while. Linda and Lawrence were on an out-of-town trip for their antique business, and they wouldn't be home for a few weeks.<br>"What are we waiting for?" asked Ferb, who was getting impatient from concern for his brother's safety. "Let's begin the search!" he added with determination.  
>*<p>

Phineas tried to scream, but couldn't. His mouth felt sealed shut as he plummeted through an icy cold environment. Blue sparks were all around him, almost like lightning bolts, but they never zapped him. Despite the glowing streaks of blue, it was pitch black. He thought the force that was pulling him would tear him up, when within a few seconds, the uncontrollable flight ceased. He gently floated to his feet, and his surroundings began to clear before his eyes.  
>Before him was Alternate Danville. He was shocked to find that every building was crumbling, and everything had a grayish tone, including the sky. Not a soul was to be seen. The only sound he could hear was the faint moaning of the cold wind. He shivered, and wrapped his arms around himself. He decided to look for some shelter.<br>He walked up and down the streets, searching for a suitable place to rest. But none of the buildings were in good enough condition to be safe. He stopped when he came across a sign in the middle of the road.  
>"THIS PLACE HAS BEEN EVACUATED,"<br>the sign read.  
>Phineas squinted and tried to read the smaller letters below.<br>"This city was attacked by Phineas and Ferb and destroyed. Move along, nothing to see here."  
>Phineas gasped. His and Ferb's alternate selves were evil!<br>I should go back, Phineas thought. As he turned to walk away, an aircraft suddenly appeared from high in the sky, slowly gliding towards the ground. Phineas ran away from it and came to the place where he had been standing when he first arrived-only to realize that there was no portal there.  
>I'm trapped! he thought, fearfully. He gazed up at the sky, helplessly watching the aircraft come closer to him. A searchlight suddenly beamed from it and shone on him. A few moments later, a laser shot out from the aircraft, and everything went black.<br>*

Phineas opened his eyes and blinked. Where am I? he wondered. He stood and looked around him. He seemed to be in a very small room. All he saw were gray walls. Nothing else.  
>Suddenly, a trap door opened above him. A platform moved downwards and stopped just next to him. On this platform stood a figure in black clothing. And this figure looked like...<br>"I am your alternate self," said the figure.  
>Phineas blinked, frozen in place. He had no idea how to react. His alternate self had a military-like haircut, and wore black clothing. He had a few scars on his face and arms, probably from battles. His face was the face of an evil one for sure, but something was very inhuman about the way he spoke. It's hard to explain unless you heard it, so the best description I can give you is that it sounded lower-pitched, slightly monotone, and had a bit of a beast-like sound to it.<br>Alternate Phineas reached out a hand. "Come with me," he said.

Phineas knew he had no choice but to take Alternate Phineas's slightly scarred hand and get on the platform. As it moved upward, Phineas began to feel nervous. What would this evil version of him do?  
>The platform stopped, and the two kids stepped off of it and began walking. Phineas followed his alternate self to another room. It was very dark in this room, and Phineas couldn't see anything until his eyes adjusted. Standing in front of them was a hooded figure. Phineas squinted and was shocked to find that this figure was Alternate Ferb!<br>Alternate Phineas walked up to Alternate Ferb and said, "I have found an alternate version of myself, Master."  
>"Is he strong?" asked Alternate Ferb.<br>Phineas tried not to shudder. Alternate Ferb's voice was even scarier than that of Alternate Phineas!  
>"We shall soon find out," said Alternate Phineas.<br>He grabbed Phineas's wrist and pulled him back out into the hall. Alternate Phineas walked around Phineas in circles, appearing to be inspecting him.  
>"Well," Alternate Phineas murmured, "you do seem to be in good shape."<br>"What do you want with me?" asked Phineas.  
>"If you pass these upcoming tests, you shall see soon enough," said Alternate Phineas.<br>"Tests?"  
>"Strength tests. If you're strong enough, then you will be who I've been searching for. But if not..." Alternate Phineas pulled out a lightsaber and activated it, pointing it at Phineas's neck. "Get the idea?"<br>"Sure, I've got it," Phineas answered nervously.  
>"Good." Alternate Phineas deactivated his lightsaber, put it away, and took Phineas to another small room.<br>"Stay here," said Alternate Phineas, slamming the door and locking it.  
>Phineas sat down and sighed. What will I do now? he wondered.<br>*

"Oh, where could he be?" asked Isabella.  
>"We've searched all over Danville!" said Candace.<br>"Don't give up," said Ferb.  
>"Right," said Candace.<br>"Let's ask if anyone has seen him," suggested Isabella.  
>Ferb nodded in approval.<br>*

Phineas hastily ate the stale bread that had gone flying through the door just before Alternate Phineas had shut it again. "You need to be strong," he had said.  
>As soon as he had finished, the door opened and Alternate Phineas ordered Phineas to come with him. Phineas stood up and followed his alternate self. At some point, they stopped.<br>"Wait here," said Alternate Phineas, walking towards a door that was like a garage door. He pulled out a remote and pressed a button and the door opened. Out of it came a big, robot dog!  
>What shocked Phineas the most was that the dog resembled Rover, Phineas and Ferb's robot dog. Except this dog was smaller (but still bigger than Phineas), and had a very different, mean face.<br>"See how long you can last fighting him!" said Alternate Phineas, a mean smile spreading on his face. The dog growled, pawed the ground, crouched down, and then charged toward his opponent. Phineas leapt to the side just before Alternate Rover could smash into him. They repeated this for a few minutes, until Alternate Phineas called out, "Good, but I must see your strength! Fight him like a man!"  
>Phineas stared at Alternate Rover fearfully, who was crouching again. The dog pounced on Phineas knocking him to the ground. Before Alternate Phineas could shake his head in disapproval, Phineas suddenly pushed Alternate Rover with all his strength and flipped him onto his back. The two began to roll around on the floor, often hitting each other hard. Finally, Phineas managed to smash Alternate Rover into a wall. The dog was badly damaged and finally broke down.<br>"Good," said Alternate Phineas, nodding in approval. "You are quite strong. Let us go report to my Master." 


	3. Chapter 2

"Excellent," said Alternate Ferb. "If you can convince him to play his part, then carry on with your plan."  
>Alternate Phineas turned to Phineas. "Listen," he said. "I have been trying to take over as much territory as I possibly can. I have succeeded in destroying Danville, but I cannot reach my goal in the state I'm in. You see, I am actually weaker than I may seem. And I obviously have been very badly injured, so I am in bad health. I had thought to myself one day, 'If I could travel to another dimension and find a stronger version of myself, I could use him.' So we searched different dimensions, looking for a stronger Phineas Flynn. However, the few strong ones were always quick to resist me, and left me scarred for life. These many injuries added to my already weak state, until I could no longer safely go through those portals. Then my Master found a portal in the last dimension we knew of. We're not sure who put it there, but it was convenient. We hoped that a stronger version of me would step through it, and sure enough, here you are! Now, if you resist me, you will be destroyed. But if you cooperate, and assist us in our raid by letting me use you, you will be rewarded."<br>"Use me? How?" asked Phineas, confused.  
>"It's difficult to explain..." said Alternate Phineas. His brow knitted. Then he spoke again. "If you cooperate, we will become one person, so to speak. We will be merged together into one body, and we can take turns having control. We can also communicate with our minds, and if I tell you I'm going to take control, don't resist me. Got it?"<br>"Well...I kinda understand..." said Phineas.  
>"But you don't want to," said Alternate Phineas. "I understand, but unless you do this, you will be destroyed. Choose your fate, boy: the greatest raider, or a tragically executed child?"<br>Phineas gulped. "I'd rather be dispatched then help you!" he said as strongly as he could.  
>"Understandable," said Alternate Phineas. "But what if I wipe out all your friends too?"<br>Phineas sighed, and hung his head down low to avoid eye-contact. "Don't hurt them," he said. "I surrender."  
>"Good," said Alternate Phineas. "Good."<p>"Nobody's seen him," said Isabella, desparingly.<br>"Don't give up," said Ferb.  
>"I just thought of something!" said Candace.<br>"What?" asked Ferb and Isabella.  
>"Phineas would be where the cool stuff is, right? Well, there is that abandoned building that nobody knows anything about. Maybe he went to explore it!"<br>"Brilliant, Candace!" Isabella exclaimed.  
>The three kids ran to where the building was. They saw the hole, and squeezed through, like Phineas had done.<br>As they made their way through what was left of the inside, they came across the portal.  
>"Aha!" said Isabella. "Maybe he went through that."<br>Candace picked up the note on the ground and read what was written on it. "Bingo!" she added.  
>"But who is gonna go through? And who is staying, just in case?" asked Isabella.<br>"I will go," said Ferb. "If I don't come back soon..."  
>"Wait!" said Candace. "How will we know what's going on?"<br>Ferb thought for a moment. Then his face brightened.  
>"I think he knows what he's gonna do today," said Isabella.<br>"Yes, yes he does," said Candace.  
>Sometime later, Ferb was finished with his new invention: The Inter-Dimension Communicator 3000!<br>"Will it work?" asked Candace.  
>"Phineas and Ferb's inventions usually work, so we can hope this one will," said Isabella.<br>Ferb instructed them on how to use the device.  
>"I must be off," he said after that.<br>"Good luck!" called Isabella.  
>"Ferb," said Candace.<br>Ferb turned and looked at her.  
>Candace sighed. "Please don't get hurt. And please keep Phineas safe. This could get dangerous."<br>Ferb nodded. Then he stepped through the portal.

Alternate Phineas led Phineas to a strange looking machine. Alternate Ferb followed behind them.  
>"Stay by me," Alternate Phineas commanded. Phineas obeyed, mostly out of fear.<br>Alternate Ferb walked up to the machine. He aimed it at the two versions of Phineas and fired at them.  
>Phineas felt the shock of the laser and gritted his teeth. Then he felt a horrible coldness, even worse than winter. He closed his eyes. He was too scared to even scream. Suddenly, the feeling went away. Phineas fell to the ground, breaking his fall with his hands. He dared not open his eyes. He waited a few moments to catch his breath, then opened his eyes. Alternate Phineas was nowhere to be seen. Still very stunned, he stood. He looked down at what he could see of himself-and saw he was wearing Alternate Phineas's clothes. He felt his face with his hands and found no scars. Had the process worked? Were he and his alternate self now one being?<p>

He saw his reflection in the machine. I even have his hair! he thought.  
>"It worked!" a voice said in his mind.<br>Phineas was startled. Is that you, alternate self?  
>"Yes, yes it is," Alternate Phineas's voice replied. "Now, I must train you to fight with a lightsaber. When you are ready, I can begin my conquest!"<br>*

Phineas had been training for literally hours with no rest or food, and only a little water. He was covered in bruises and small burns. What was worse, he would be doing this everyday!  
>Despite his alternate self's constant scolding, he flopped down on a hard sleeping mat and let tears flow down his face as he fell asleep.<br>*

Ferb wandered the streets of Alternate Danville, shocked at what he was seeing.  
>This can't be Danville! he thought. And where's Phineas?<br>Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. The sign that Phineas had seen was right in front of Ferb.  
>Oh no! he thought. Phineas is in danger! What if they find him-or did they already?<br>His heart pounded. I've got to find my brother!  
>"Pst!" a voice whispered behind him.<br>Ferb didn't move. He didn't even make the slightest twitch, out of fear that a very dangerous enemy could be lurking nearby.  
>"Um...are you a friend or a foe?" the voice asked.<br>Ferb turned slowly. A man in a light gray grey lab coat stood behind him. This man had short, messy brown hair, and had a scar over one, halfway closed eye.

Next to him was a cyborg platypus. It stood on its hind legs, and it seemed more like a small, aqua-colored person than an animal. One of its eyes was replaced with a robotic one. The same went for other parts of its body, suggesting serious injury. It also wore a dark grey fedora on its head.  
>"Who are you?" asked Ferb.<br>"I-I am Heinz," the stranger answered, nervously. "I am afraid that you might be an enemy like your alternate self, so I will say no more. I can tell you are Ferb, because I cannot forget the one glimpse I got of your alternate self's face."  
>"I will not hurt you as long as you don't hurt me," Ferb said, gently.<br>Heinz looked relieved. "I am Heinz Doofenshmirtz," he said, "and that is my friend, Perryborg. His name used to be Perry. We've been friends for years. When Phineas and Ferb-of this dimension-attacked us, we had no choice but to flee and protect each other at all costs. Fighting back alone was a mistake. We were both badly hurt, as you can see. We hoped that someday, more people would come to our aid, but no one has. But if we die, at least we can die together as best friends. Do you have a best friend?"  
>Ferb choked back tears. "Yes, yes I do. He is my brother, Phineas. He ran away recently and I am searching for him. I fear that our alternate selves may have found him."<br>Heinz's eyes widened. "I was afraid this would happen."  
>Ferb gave him a questioning look.<br>Heinz looked around him. Then he walked up close to Ferb and whispered in his ear: "It's not safe out here. I invite you to come into my shelter to talk."  
>Ferb nodded, and followed Heinz and Perryborg until they got to the place they were heading to: an underground tunnel. They squeezed through the tunnel into a small "room" that was full of supplies. There were also blankets, pillows, and a lantern.<br>The three boys sat down in a semi-circle.  
>Heinz looked at Ferb with a concerned expression. "This is hard to tell you, but you need to know what they're doing to your brother."<br>Ferb nodded, and gulped hard.  
>Heinz swallowed too. After a few moments, he proceeded to tell his story.<br>Alternate Phineas had been looking for an alternate version of him that was stronger and healthier than he. Once he found who he was looking for, he would take over and manipulate the unfortunate victim. But whenever he did find an alternate self who was strong enough, they would just fight back-injuring their weaker self and making the search more difficult.  
>But if he could find a strong Phineas that didn't fight back, then once he had control he would be able to continue his conquest of all Earth-and maybe other dimensions as well.<br>"And so," Heinz concluded, "your Phineas is the new victim. We have heard no news of an execution, so this means that he may have passed the strength test. Also, it seems that your Phineas hasn't fought him back, and I know that this dimension's Phineas wouldn't hesitate to carry out his plan now that he knows he's likely to succeed. So now, they are both in the same body. I'm sorry to tell you this, but it is almost impossible to save your brother now. You'd have to seperate them somehow-and get out of this dimension alive. But I believe in you. I don't know how, but somehow I feel that you are the one that can save him."  
>Ferb just sat there, drinking in every word. After a while, he said, "I-I guess I'll try."<br>"Don't guess or try," said Heinz. "You will do it."  
>"I-" Ferb started. "I will do it!" he added more confidently.<br>Perryborg gave a thumbs-up. Heinz nodded in approval.  
>"Good," said Heinz. "Now, let us get some much-needed sleep. You're going to need to be well-rested for tommorrow."<br>*

Ferb tossed and turned in the blankets. He was having a very vivid nightmare.

Ferb was standing on a cliff, with shadows all around him.  
>"Ferb! FERB!" Phineas's voice called out. "HELP ME!"<p>

Ferb ran towards the voice and halted to a stop when he saw Phineas hanging off the edge of the cliff.  
>"Phineas!"<br>Suddenly, Ferb heard a cackle behind him. He turned his head and saw a dark figure walk up to him.  
>Ferb got down on his knees and reached out his hand toward Phineas.<br>"Come on," he said, as Phineas struggled to reach him. "You can do it," he said as he strained to get his brother's hand.  
>"Gotcha!" the dark figure's voice cackled behind him, grabbing his arm, his grip getting tighter and tighter. Pain shot up Ferb's arm, causing him to cry out in pain.<br>"FEEEERB!" Phineas screamed, with fear in his eyes, as he began to slip. Ferb watched in horror as his brother fell to certain doom, his figure becoming small.  
>Ferb's feelings of grief were quickly replaced by a burning anger. Ferb turned back towards the figure with a fire in his eyes.<br>"YOU!" he screamed with hatred.  
>Suddenly, the shadows disappeared, and Ferb stared, frightened, into the nightmarish, scarred face of Alternate Phineas. Ferb let out a gasp, as Alternate Phineas continued to cackle.<br>Suddenly, he pushed Ferb over the edge of the cliff.  
>Ferb stretched out his arms with much effort, just barely managing to grab hold of the cliff. He quickly climbed down the sharp rocks until he could safely drop to the ground.<br>His eyes, filled with horror, searched for his fallen brother, and his heart skipped a beat-there lay Phineas, motionless on the ground.  
>Ferb ran over to him, got down on his knees, and propped his brother's head up with his arms.<br>"Phineas," Ferb whispered, tears evident in his voice.  
>Phineas struggled to open his eyes halfway. "You can revive me," he said, weakly.<br>"How?" asked Ferb, desperately.  
>"With a brother's love," Phineas choked out as his eyes closed.<p>

Ferb's eyes blinked open. He slowly sat up, breathing hard. He looked around him, just to be sure he had only been dreaming. Sure enough, he was safe in Heinz's den, with his two new friends sound asleep nearby him.  
>Safe, thought Ferb. I'm safe. But Phineas is not. Oh, I do hope he'll be alright! I should've just told him I wasn't angry at him. If he gets hurt, it will be all my fault.<br>Ferb couldn't help the tears that streamed down his face. His brother was in danger, all because of his own unloyalty, and it hurt him very much.

Heinz was sound asleep, when he was suddenly wakened by a quiet sound. He opened his eyes, and listened. He could just barely hear sobbing next to him. He rolled over. Sure enough, Ferb was in tears.  
>"Hey," Heinz whispered. "What's wrong buddy?"<br>Ferb looked up at him. He said nothing.  
>"Are you thinking about your brother?" Heinz asked gently.<br>Ferb slowly nodded.  
>Heinz's heart broke. Here was a young boy who was scared of losing his best friend in the whole world. Heinz had never felt this way before, but he knew how painful it must be. He put an arm around Ferb and pulled him into a hug. Ferb accepted this kind gesture and buried his face into Heinz's shoulder.<p>

A few minutes later, Ferb lifted his head and glanced up at Heinz.  
>"I-I had a bad dream," he said. He proceeded to tell Heinz about his nightmare. "It was unusually vivid," he concluded. "Could it mean something?"<br>"Quite possibly," said Heinz. "Especially because you were able to see Alternate Phineas in your dream, even though you've never seen him in real life!"  
>Ferb slowly nodded. A few moments later, he suddenly pulled out a strange device.<br>"What's that?" asked Heinz, as he watched Ferb work with it.  
>"It's my way of communicating with people back in my dimension," said Ferb.<br>Heinz nodded. A minute later, Ferb had the device working. A hologram popped up, showing Candace sitting by her part of the communicator.  
>"Hey Ferb!" she said. "Isabella went to get food and blankets. She should be back soon. How's it going?"<br>Ferb took a deep breath and explained everything that had happened. When he was finished, Candace looked very frightened.  
>"This is even worse than I thought!" she exclaimed. "I hope he'll be alright."<br>Ferb nodded in agreement.  
>Then, in the projection, Isabella suddenly showed up, carrying a heavy load of blankets and non-perishable food.<br>"How did you sneak past your mom?" Candace asked her.  
>Isabella carefully dropped the supplies on the floor. "I told her I was sleeping over," she said. "Then when she went to sleep, I grabbed the stuff and snuck outside with it. So...did Ferb find Phineas yet?"<br>"Not yet," said Candace. "It seems that it will be harder to save him than we thought." Candace then passed on the news that Ferb had given.  
>Isabella gasped. "Oh no! This is terrible! Please Ferb, please save him!"<br>Ferb nodded. "I will do what I can," he said, quietly. 


	4. Chapter 3

Phineas's eyes snapped open. He sat up slowly, breathing hard. He had just had another nightmare. He was having a lot of them now, ever since Alternate Phineas had taken him over a few days ago. As the days went on, the dreams got longer and more vivid.

He took out a photo from somewhere and held it up, tears running down his face. It was a picture of him and Ferb on the rollercoaster. Will life ever be the same again? he wondered.

He rubbed his back, which was sore from yesterday's training. He had taken quite a fall and landed hard. He struggled to his feet and groaned, pain shooting up his arms and legs. He choked back tears and slowly walked to the training room.  
>"Faster!" Alternate Phineas's voice snapped in his mind.<br>Phineas walked (more like waddled) as quickly as he could, gritting his teeth as his legs began to hurt worse. He was surprised that yesterday's fall had not paralyzed him. He almost wished it had.

After a few hours of even more intense training and scolding from Alternate Phineas, Phineas collapsed from exhaustion. Alternate Phineas was disgusted, but there was nothing he could do.  
>*<p>

Ferb's eyes blinked open. He looked around him, hoping for the 100th time in the past few days that this whole adventure was just a dream, and that he and Phineas were safe at home in their beds. It was real.  
>Ferb sighed, then stretched, yawned, and stood up. Heinz rolled over and opened his eyes.<br>"I see you're awake," he said to Ferb.  
>Ferb nodded.<br>"Ready for more training?" Heinz asked.  
>Ferb shrugged. Perryborg and Heinz had been teaching Ferb to wield a lightsaber too, only this training wasn't so brutal.<br>"I'm sorry buddy," said Heinz. "I know you're gonna hate doing this, but you will have to fight your brother. His alternate self will show you no mercy, so you must defend yourself until you find a way to seperate them."  
>Ferb hung his head low and nodded. He grabbed his lightsaber and followed Heinz into another, bigger room. They had to squeeze through a small tunnel to get there, which took a while, but when they finally got to the room, Perryborg was there, waiting for them. He held his own lightsaber in his paw, ready to teach his student another lesson.<br>Ferb and Perryborg activated their weapons. As they dueled, Perryborg would occasionally chatter tips and encouragement, which Heinz translated into English for Ferb to understand. A while later, Ferb and Perryborg collapsed into a sitting position on the ground, panting.  
>Heinz's cheerful face grew solemn. "It's time," he said.<br>Ferb gulped. He knew what Heinz meant-it was time to fight his brother.  
>*<p>

"Wake up you little-" Alternate Phineas's voice yelled in Phineas's mind.  
>Phineas's eyes opened. Had he fainted?<br>"You're even weaker than I thought!" Alternate Phineas's voice said.  
>"Sorry," said Phineas.<br>"No time to be 'sorry'," said Alternate Phineas. "Someone is coming here that is going to battle us. You must prepare yourself."  
>"Who?"<br>"Your brother..."  
>"WHAT?"<br>*

Ferb staggered fearfully onto the platform, where he could see another figure standing. Ferb had just snuck into the building that Heinz had told him to go to. Now he was on a platform surrounded by lava, with Phineas standing some distance away, his lightsaber activated. As Ferb forced himself to keep moving towards his brother, he began to see that Phineas seemed to have control right now. Phineas looked away from Ferb, a regretful, sad look on his face. Ferb felt bad for his brother, but knew he couldn't help him at the present.  
>Phineas looked at Ferb, with very sad eyes.<br>That sent a dagger through Ferb's heart.  
>"I came to rescue you," Ferb said.<br>Phineas looked surprised. "You did?" he asked.  
>"Yes," said Ferb. "I will find a way to save you."<br>Phineas sighed. "If that's even possible anymore," he said. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth, and his sad face turned in one of pain.  
>Ferb raised an eyebrow, very much concerned.<br>"He's-taking-control..." Phineas struggled to say.  
>"I can see that you will not fight," said Alternate Phineas, in Phineas's mind. "So I will fight instead..."<br>"No no no..." Phineas replied. Suddenly, his mind felt blank, and he could hardly see his surroundings. He tried to move, only to find that he couldn't. "No..."

Ferb was startled when Phineas looked at him again. Something about his face was wrong. It's very difficult to explain unless you had seen it, but something seemed quite inhuman about his facial expression. Rage burned in his eyes. He looked like a wild animal that was going to pounce on Ferb and kill him. Then, it hit him: of course! This wasn't Phineas-it was Alternate Phineas!  
>"Hello, Ferb," said Alternate Phineas in an unearthly voice, that sent chills down Ferb's spine. "I am your brother of this dimension," Alt Phineas continued. He chuckled mockingly. "Pleased to meet you, Bro."<br>Ferb began to feel very angry at his enemy for what he had done to the real Phineas. "You're no brother of mine!" he shouted, activating his lightsaber.  
>The two began to duel with their lightsabers. Ferb had been trained well, but was still surprised at how skilled Alt Phineas was. Many times he had to duck or jump, other times, he nearly fell into the surrounding lava whenever Alt Phineas began to edge him there.<br>Ferb was not only in a physical fight, but in an emotional fight as well. He knew he needed to defend himself, but at the same time, he didn't want to bring any harm to his brother, who he knew was still in there somewhere, probably devastated.  
>At some point, they came close to a pole with a big switch on it. With a devilish grin, Alt Phineas turned on the switch. Ferb turned at a sound behind him like a rushing river, and his eyes widened as he saw the lava racing towards them!<br>Ferb's eyes darted around, searching for a safe place. Alt Phineas took this time to sneak away. Ferb turned and saw him jump up onto another, high platform above him, then jump onto another, even higher platform.  
>Ferb ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and, with much effort, jumped upward and grabbed the edge of the platform, just as the one below disappeared and was replaced with lava. Ferb began to slip, but he used all his strength to pull himself onto the platform until he could safely stand on it. Alt Phineas had been watching, and jumped down next to him. Alt Phineas lunged at Ferb, planning to knock him off and into his doom, but Ferb jumped out of the way just in time!<br>Alt Phineas began to fall towards the lava, a horrible scream erupting from his throat. Ferb cringed and covered his eyes, not wanting to see what he thought for sure would be his brother's demise. After a minute, he opened his eyes again. He looked around him, and saw Alt Phineas standing some distance away from the lava pit.  
>How-what? Ferb was very confused. Well, at least he'll be alright for now. In the meantime, I should make a run for it!<br>Ferb jumped up onto the platform above him. Then he jumped onto another, and another-until he could see a window right next to him. Carefully, he opened the window and looked down. There was a rope! He cautiously grabbed the rope and climbed down, then dropped to the ground and ran back to Heinz's den.  
>*<p>

"He got away?" Alternate Ferb shouted. " If you don't get him next time, I will kill you!"  
>"Master," said Alternate Phineas, "What if he doesn't come back?"<br>"Of course he'll be back! He isn't a coward like you are!" Alternate Ferb snapped. "But if he doesn't, track him down and dispose of him!"  
>"Yes Sir," Alt Phineas growled. He did a mock bow and stalked off to his room, flinging himself onto his bed.<br>Phineas suddenly felt himself go back to normal. He blinked, realizing that he could see again. He tried to move, and was now able to. He had figured out what had happened, based on what he had been able to hear his and Ferb's alternate selfs say.  
>I'm glad Ferb got away, he thought.<br>"YOU!" Alt Phineas's voice shouted. "This is your fault! If you hadn't been such a coward and fought him, he wouldn't have gotten away! I'm disgusted with you!"  
>Alternate Phineas began to send a feeling of gripping pain into Phineas's mind. Phineas mentally pushed his alternate self away, until the pain suddenly stopped. Phineas's mind was exhausted, but Alt Phineas had stopped bothering him. Phineas's mind was so worn out, however, that he fainted.<br>*

Heinz and Perryborg sat facing each other, anxious. Was Ferb alright?  
>Suddenly, Ferb himself came tumbling into the room. Without saying a word, he flung himself onto his blanket, filled with mixed emotions of fear, sadness, and rage. He felt so confused that he couldn't think. He didn't eat or even sleep for a while, until finally, he began to feel more calm. Heinz and Perryborg had been patiently waiting. Ferb, his voice trembling, explained what had happened.<br>"We need to seperate them somehow!" said Heinz. "But how?"  
>Ferb thought hard. He mentally went through each of the projects he and Phineas had done over the summer when suddenly, one of them struck him: The Molecular Separator!<br>That's it! thought Ferb.  
>He told Heinz about the machine. "I need to find parts so that I can rebuild it," he concluded. "Will that be possible?"<br>"I have some spare parts from some old inventions of mine," said Heinz. "Just tell me what you need, and I'll get the parts for you."  
>30 minutes later, their work was done.<br>"This should work," said Ferb. He yawned. "Ugh! I guess I'll have to do it tommorrow," he added drowsily, curling up in his blanket and falling fast asleep.  
>*<p>

Candace paced back and forth restlessly. She had not heard anything from Ferb in a while, and was getting {C}very worried. Isabella just quietly sat by the machine, in case they suddenly got a message, but she was just as concerned.  
>"Where could he be by now?" Candace asked herself. "What is happening to him? Will I ever see my little brothers again?"<br>"Don't worry Candace," said Isabella. "I'm sure they'll be fine."  
>"You don't sound so sure," Candace murmured.<br>Isabella sighed. "We can only have hope," she said.  
>*<p>

"Ferb!" said a voice.  
>Ferb groaned and rolled over.<br>"Ferb, wake up!" the voice said loudly.  
>Ferb's eyes snapped open. Heinz was kneeling down next to him.<br>"You overslept," Heinz said. "It's lunch time now."  
>Ferb's stomach rumbled. He sat up, and yawned.<br>"I had strange dreams last night," he said, sleepily.  
>"I thought so," said Heinz. "You were making noises, and tossing and turning, and even sweating! Were they disturbing?"<br>Ferb shrugged. "I can't remember them very well," he said.  
>He stood, and nearly toppled over. Fortunately, Heinz caught him and helped him stand.<br>"I get dizzy when I go a really long time without eating," said Ferb.  
>"You missed, like, three or four meals!" said Heinz. "It's no wonder...Come, have some-uh-brunch."<p>

After the meal was over, Ferb, Heinz, and Perryborg all sat in silence. After a while, Heinz spoke.  
>"You'll have to go back," he said quietly.<br>Ferb swallowed, and nodded. This was not going to be fun.  
>"You might want to update your friends on the situation," Heinz reminded him.<br>Ferb's eyes widened. He had forgotten about the girls back by the portal! He slapped his face and brought out his device, working with it until the hologram popped up.  
>"Ferb!" Candace shouted happily. "Thank goodness! We were worried when you didn't contact us for a few days. Have you found Phineas yet?"<br>Ferb solemnly explained what had recently happened, and what he was going to do today.  
>"I must go now," said Ferb.<br>"Good luck," Candace said, quietly.  
>The hologram disappeared. Ferb turned to Heinz and nodded at him. Heinz understood, and nodded back. Ferb would not wait any longer to save his brother.<br>*

Ferb trembled as he made his way towards the figure that stood ahead of him. In one hand, he clutched his lightsaber, just in case. In the other, he held the Molecular Separator. When he was close to the figure, he could easily tell that it was Alternate Phineas that was glaring back at him.  
>"You should not have come back," said Alt Phineas.<br>"Why not?" said Ferb. "I have to save my brother, whether you want me to or not."  
>"I am your brother," said Alternate Phineas. "The 'alternate' part doesn't matter."<br>"You are nothing like Phineas," said Ferb. "My brother is kind, loving, and brave, and hardly ever gives up. But what are you? You're only a mean, cold-blooded murderer who quickly gave up trying to get rid of me."  
>"You callin' me a coward?" Alt Phineas asked, with rage burning in his eyes and his voice. "I'll show you coward..."<br>"Come on Phineas," said Ferb. "I know you're in there somewhere. I can save you now. I hope you can hear me. Please, come out. Please."  
>Suddenly, Alternate Phineas let out a yell, gritted his teeth, and shut his eyes. When they opened again, Phineas's face looked normal again.<br>"Ferb," said Phineas. "You-you came back for me, didn't you?"  
>"Of course!" said Ferb. "Isn't that what friends do?"<br>Phineas smiled for a few seconds, but then he suddenly seemed to be in pain. "H-he's t-trying to g-get me..." Phineas struggled to say.  
>He put his hands on his head and screamed, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"<br>Ferb aimed the Molecular Separator at him, and fired.

A moment later, there were two versions of Phineas: Alternate Phineas, who quickly stood up with his back to Ferb, and the real Phineas, Ferb's best friend and brother, lying motionless on the floor.  
>Alternate Phineas turned towards Ferb, and Ferb dropped both of the objects he was holding in terror of Alt Phineas's scarred face, glaring at him with a fire burning in his eyes.<br>"We shall see who the real coward is," he growled.  
>Ferb stood frozen in place at the sound of his beast-like voice. Alt Phineas took this time to lunge at Ferb and push him over the edge of the platform. Unfortunately for him, he fell with his victim. They both tumbled down, frantically reaching out for something to grab onto. They both grabbed onto pieces of the wall that were projected outward, and held on for dear life. Ferb had grabbed on first, so he was above Alt Phineas. Without warning, an alarm sounded, and there was an explosion and the sound of rushing water below.<br>"I forgot to turn down the pressure on the water tanks!" Alt Phineas exclaimed.  
>Ferb looked down where Alt Phineas was looking, and saw that the room below was flooding.<br>"How high will the water rise?" Ferb asked.  
>"Not too much higher," said Alt Phineas. He tried to climb the wall, but slipped and clinged to the part of the wall he was hanging on to.<br>Ferb looked up and saw that there was a rope near him, leading to a platform. He grabbed the rope, then turned and held out his other hand.  
>"Here," said Ferb.<br>"No way!" said Alt Phineas, swatting at Ferb's hand. "Whoa!" he yelled, as he nearly lost his grip.  
>"I can save you," said Ferb, still holding out his hand.<br>"Why should you?" Alt Phineas growled. Suddenly, he accidentally let go, and fell into the water below. There was nothing Ferb could do now. Alt Phineas would have to save himself somehow.  
>Ferb carefully climbed up the rope and onto the platform. He jumped onto another platform above him, and then jumped onto the one he had been standing on before he had been knocked down. He saw Phineas, who was still lying on the ground. The only indication that he was still alive was his slow breathing.<br>Ferb ran over to him, got down on his knees, and lifted his brother's head in his arms.  
>"Phineas..."<br>Phineas opened his eyes half way, and stared up at him, a weary expression on his face.  
>"I-I'm sorry...Ferb..." he said. "F-for everything."<br>"It wasn't your fault," said Ferb. "I was never mad at you. I should've just told you that. And I'm terribly sorry I wasn't a better friend."  
>"It-it's ok..." said Phineas. "It-it'll be alright. J-just leave me now."<br>Ferb looked confused. "Leave you? Why?"  
>Phineas's eyes were filled with sadness. "I-I don't think I'll survive...I've learned that some persons, like my alternate self, can do horrible things to others like me, not only physically, but mentally as well. I learned it the hard way, and now it's too late. Too lat..."<br>And with that, Phineas exhaled...and stopped breathing altogether, his eyes slowly closing. Ferb felt his brother's skin slowly get colder and colder, as his body became limp.  
>Ferb's eyes widened in horror. His nightmare was coming true! His eyes began to fill with tears.<br>"No...y-you're my best friend. I won't let it end this way!" he said. "Don't die..." he begged.  
>He checked for a pulse. Nothing. He couldn't believe it. Phineas was gone.<br>The explanation fastly came in the British kid's mind, like the tears that flooded his deep blue eyes: Two Phineas-es were too much for his brother's body. The energy just wasted away in the red headed's fight with his evil alter-ego. He was driving himself to death. And the separation made it blow and disappear. These thoughts made Ferb shiver, but he turned his face to the body laying next to him.  
>"No!" he said, pulling Phineas's body into a tight embrace. He broke down into sobs, and shook his head, not believing it could end like this.<br>After a while, he had quieted a bit, but not much. All of the sudden, Phineas's last words in his nightmare came back to him.  
>"You can revive me...with a brother's love..."<br>I just don't get it, Ferb thought. What am I supposed to do? Show how much I care about him?  
>"P-please..." Ferb whispered. "P-please...come back to me. You were the best friend I ever had. I couldn't possibly go on without you. And what's worse, I have to deal with guilt, because it's all my fault that this happened. If I could have another chance, I'd take it without hesitation. Please, Phineas, come back. Please."<br>Ferb continued to mourn-until he suddenly felt Phineas's body become warmer. He checked for a pulse. It was there! Ferb's eyes widened, and he began to feel hopeful.  
>Maybe he'd get another chance after all! Ferb kept Phineas in his tight embrace, tears still streaming down his face, but he was no longer grieving.<br>Soon, Phineas was breathing again.  
>After a long time, Phineas turned his head a little, and blinked his eyes open.<br>"F-Ferb?" he said weakly.  
>"Phineas!" said Ferb, feeling very relieved.<br>He carefully lowered Phineas to the ground, who kneeled down facing Ferb. He examined himself, and realized that he was indeed himself again.  
>"I-I'm s-sorry. Really s-sorry. For everything." said Phineas. "I put you in serious danger-you could've been killed! I was a fool for making that decision...Are the others alright? Does Mom or Dad know? Or Candace? Or Isabella?"<br>"You're the only one who needs to be okay right now. You don't need to apologize." answered the green headed kid.  
>"B-but I dragged you into that! And I'm sure you were the one who brought me back. When I look at you, I can't believe there are horrible people like my alternate self! He just played with my mind and killed me without even showing any sign of emphaty. I've been really overwhelmed. If you hadn't come in time, I would've lost my mind."<br>Phineas sounded like he was choking up as he spoke. When he finished, he turned his head away.  
>Ferb raised an eyebrow.<br>"I-I'm fine," said Phineas, not really glancing at Ferb. He sounded like he was going to cry.  
>"You don't sound fine," Ferb said quietly.<br>Phineas sniffed, then he threw his arms around his brother and sobbed heavily.  
>Ferb hugged him and patted his back, trying to make him feel better. "It's okay, mate," he said quietly.<br>Sometime later, Phineas quieted down. Slowly, he let go of his brother and stood. Ferb stood too.  
>"Are you alright now?" Ferb asked softly.<br>"Yeah," said Phineas, smiling, which he had not done much of in a long time since the day he had run away-the day that had started everything. "Thanks Ferb. I can always count on you."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I wasn't mad at you," said Ferb. "Candace and Isabella weren't either. We're all very sorry."  
>"It's alright now," said Phineas. "But how do we get back? I didn't see any portals around here."<br>Ferb thought for a minute. "Let's ask a friend I made here," he said.  
>*<p>

"And...here it is!" said Heinz. They were in the same building that the original portal had been in, only in a different dimension of course.  
>Heinz, Perryborg, Phineas, and Ferb all shielded their faces, due to the bright light coming from the portal.<br>Ferb turned to Heinz and Perryborg, and nodded. His new friends nodded back, understanding that he was thanking them without speaking.  
>"I hope I see you again, kid," said Heinz, with a kind smile.<br>Phineas and Ferb walked toward the portal and stepped through.  
>*<p>

Candace and Isabella sat by the machine-bored. Suddenly, two figures emerged through the portal.  
>"Phineas! Ferb!" the girls shouted excitedly.<br>Candace ran over and hugged them both. Isabella ran over to Phineas and hugged him. Then she nodded at Ferb, which meant "thank you for saving the boy I love". Ferb nodded in return.  
>"Let's get home!" said Candace.<br>As the four kids headed back, Phineas and Ferb each explained their sides of the story. Then Candace and Isabella did the same, and they all laughed about how the girls had gone to crazy lengths to make sure Candace's parents didn't know what was really going on. Isabella did, however, tell her own mother what was happening, and Vivian had approved of her staying at the building with Candace until the boys returned.

Hours later, Phineas and Ferb climbed into their beds and snuggled under the covers.  
>"Some week, huh?" said Phineas.<br>Ferb nodded. Then the boys both passed out.

And though they didn't realize it yet, their adventures were only beginning.

The End 


End file.
